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SCUTTLEBUTT 2211 - October 27, 2006Scuttlebutt is a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions,features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus. Scuttlebutt is distributed each weekday, with America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt brought to you by UBS (http://www.ubs.com/sailing). ALLIANZ CUP San Francisco (Oct. 26, 2006) — With the fleet divided into two groups for the early rounds, Wednesday’s races saw the current leader of the match racing world championship standings, Ian Williams, the 29-year-old skipper of Team Pindar, win Group A with a 5-2 record. He topped a three-way tiebreaker with Peter Holmberg of Alinghi and Ben Ainslie of Emirates Team New Zealand, two syndicates for the America’s Cup, defeating both in head-to-head matches for the tiebreaker. Holmberg defeated Ainslie in their Flight 2 match to place second and Ainslie third. Those three advance to Friday’s Quarterfinal Round, a knockout series with the first to 3 points advancing. During Thursday’s racing, Italy’s Paolo Cian, tied for fifth in the match racing world championship standings, leads the Group B round robin at the Allianz Cup Presented by Oracle after four flights. Cian has a perfect 4-0 record at Stage 5 of the 2006-’07 World Match Racing Tour. Cian won Stage 3, the St. Moritz Match Race, in August for his first World Tour victory. Thursday he defeated Larry Ellison, Brian Angel, Cameron Dunn and Jesper Bank in light winds for his undefeated record. After Cian there’s a tie for second, at 3-1, between old foes Ed Baird of Alinghi and Peter Gilmour of PST. Friday’s schedule calls for a Pro-Am regatta in the morning, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Group B racing is scheduled to resume around 1:30 p.m. and, time permitting, the race committee would also like to start the repechage round tomorrow afternoon. The racing will be broadcast live on the Internet at sail.tv beginning around 1:30 p.m. PT. Allianz Cup site: http://www.allianzcup.com World Match Racing Tour site: http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/ BROWN BAG JUSTICE The BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival, presented by Nanny Cay, is known for its innovation and the 2007 event, March 26 - April 1, will be no exception. This year the BVI Spring Regatta wants to bring sailors back into the protest room, on the judge’s side of the table. Over the last ten years, sailors have been supplanted on protest juries by professional jurists, International Judge’s (IJ’s), and regatta chairman Bob Phillips believes that this has deprived the competitors of a learning opportunity. “Quite often the competitors have a different view of the on-water action and actual sailing conditions and this is what we are trying to get back into the protest room. I expect that they will interject a very pragmatic and practical approach to this process.” The 2007 BVI Spring Regatta will re-involve the sailors in the protest process by asking each skipper at registration if there is someone on board who is conversant enough with the Rules to serve on a Protest Committee. No competitor will sit on a committee that hears a protest that would affect results of the class in which he sails and, if necessary, competitors will be given the opportunity to appeal a decision to an International Jury. - BYM News, full report: http://www.bymnews.com/new/content/view/37035/50/ Event website: http://www.bvispringregatta.org PRE-TRIALS (Long Beach, CA) Along with draw poker and American Idol, sailing is one of the few competitions where women can face off with men on equal terms. Stuart McNay of Chestnut Hill, Mass. and crew Graham Biehl, San Diego, emerged as the early leaders with two first places and a second, but the women's teams of Erin Maxwell/Kinsolving, Canada's Jennifer Provan/Carol Luttmer and the Czech Republic's Lenka Smidova with Elizabeth Kratzig of Miami Beach as crew grace the next three positions after the first of four days' racing. The genders are separated in the RS:X windsurfer classes nearer the beach east of Long Beach, with Ben Barger of Tampa, Fla., runnerup to Peter Wells in the 2004 U.S. Trials, posting two runaway victories on the new Olympic board and Nancy Rios and Farrah Hall swapping firsts and seconds to share the women's lead after two races. Following morning Santa Ana desert winds up to 15 knots, the breeze shifted 180 degrees to onshore for the rest of the day but only flirted with double-digit velocity, raising the opinion that the light wind favored the women because they're smaller. Kinsolving, a slim six feet tall and an Olympic participant at Athens, wasn't buying any of that. - Rich Roberts, full report: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/06/1026.htm Current Leaders 470 (men and women combined; 12 boats, after 3 of 10 races): 1. Stuart McNay, Chestnut Hill, MA/Graham Biehl, San Diego, 2-1-1, 4 pts. 2. Erin Maxwell, Norwalk, CT/Isabelle Kinsolving, New York, 3-3-4, 10. 3. Jennifer Provan, Toronto, Can./Carol Luttmer, Kingston, Ont., 1-2-8, 11. MEN'S RS:X (5 boats, after 2 of 10 races): 1. Ben Barger, Tampa, FL, 1-1, 2. 2. Mark Powell, Miami, FL, 2-2, 4. 3. Seth Besse, Guilford, CT, 4-3, 7. WOMEN'S RS:X (5 boats, after 2of 10 races): 1. Nancy Rios, Cocoa, FL, 2-1, 3 1. Farrah Hall, Annapolis, MD, 1-2, 3. 3. Karen Marriott, Lakewood, CO, 3-3, 6. 470 results: http://www.ussclb.org/Pre-Trials/470race3.htm RS:X results: http://www.abyc.org/upload/Pre_Trials.htm ORDER EARLY, SAVE BIG Sure, you can put off until spring the assessment and replacement of old sails. Or, avoid starting next season with sails past their peak. UK-Halsey offers price incentives on orders received before December 1st. This covers our Tape-Drive and other load-path laminates as well as premium Dacrons - everything from the latest high-tech to finest cruising sails. Your savings can be substantial, especially if you pay in full when ordering. But don’t wait. Call your nearest UK-Halsey loft for a painless sail quote. 800-253-2002 or http://www.ukhalsey.com US SAILOR OF THE WEEK (The US Sailing ‘Sailor of the Week’ recognition aptly goes to Gonzalo Diaz, Sr. this week, the Miami resident whose name is synonymous with Snipe class promotion, and is enjoying the international class community in his town this week for the Snipe Western Hemisphere and Orient Championship. Here is the report.) Gonzalo Diaz, Sr., affectionately called "the old man" by many, is a meticulously organized man. At 76, he is the patriarch of a wonderful family, a successful business, and three generations of Snipe sailors throughout the United States. In 1963, Gonzalo Sr. breathed several sighs of relief. Not only had he left behind a thriving business in Cuba and successfully relocated his family to the United States, he also managed to get his Snipe, a 15 ½-foot racing sailboat, to North America. He was as calculated in his plans for his family as he was in making arrangements for his boat. Many of the United States’ most accomplished sailors are forever indebted to Gonzalo. Not only did he introduce his two sons and daughter to sailing, he has perpetuated the Snipe Class in Southeast Florida. His daughter Anne and sons Gonzalo Jr. (Gonzo) and Augie can regularly be found on the water and are accomplished sailors (Augie is the 2003 US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman of the Year). Having his son, Augie, win the title of Snipe World Champion in 2005, was probably Gonzalo’s proudest sailing moment. The Old Man spends the better part of his day at the office and the majority of his leisure time organizing the Miami Snipe Fleet. This week, Gonzalo can be found at the Snipe Western Hemisphere and Orient Championship in Miami with his long-time friends from the Snipe class. - http://tinyurl.com/yh44sa VIDEO OF THE WEEK If you were wondering how far innovators could take the whole idea of harnessing the power of the wind, then this week’s video is not to be missed. It’s a sail that can thrust you forward, and it’s an airplane wing that can lift you. Strapped to your feet might be skiis, skates, rollerblades, or anything else you ride. When combined together you have the next level of extreme activity, where you can glide in the air, or sail on the ground. Blend the footage with action music, and you have 3:40 minutes worth of sweet dreams. Thanks to Skip Ridgeway for sending us a link to this week’s video. If you have a video you like, please send us your suggestions for next week’s Video of the Week. Click here for this week’s video: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/media/06/1023 MAKING MILESTONES The Italian +39 Challenge sailed its new boat, ITA 85, for the first time on Thursday. The debut marks an enormous milestone for the young team, with the boat representing nearly 40 000 man hours of work. Helmsman Iain Percy said the plan was to tow the boat out, test some systems, and if the weather permitted to raise the mainsail. The boat must have passed all structural tests quickly, because within minutes the mainsail and then the genoa was hoisted. Conditions were perfect for testing a brand new boat, with a light six knot breeze and a slow, long swell on the Mediterranean. Team leader Luca Devoti was beaming like a proud parent from a nearby support boat as the new blue boat found the wind and sailed away with helmsman Iain Percy at the wheel. - Full report: http://tinyurl.com/ylzy8f VELUX 5 OCEANS RACE (Thursday 26 October 18:05 GMT) At the 15:00 GMT position poll, Bernard Stamm and Cheminées Poujoulat were 150 miles north of Madeira with Kojiro Shiraishi 161 miles astern, closing the gap over the past three hours. Earlier today, the Japanese skipper spent an exhausting three hours recovering a sail dragged overboard, but is overwhelmed by the strength of his boat, Spirit of Yukoh, and how she handled the storm earlier this week. Just north-east of Cape Finisterre, Mike Golding restarted racing off the Spanish port of La Coruna when his 48 hour penalty expired at 14:11 GMT this afternoon and sailed into light headwinds. Twenty miles north-east of Ecover, Alex Thomson and Hugo Boss are rounding the headland north of La Coruna as daylight fades. Golding has had to play catch-up before - most memorably after restarting in the 2001-02 Vendée Globe and carving through the entire fleet - so for the British skipper, anything is achievable: "Alex is the immediate target" he commented, shortly before setting off, "but the bigger goal is catching Bernard." At 11:00 GMT, shortly before Ecover left the dock, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston shook hands with Golding on the pontoons in La Coruna before returning to work on SAGA Insurance, a boat which he described today as "a very tough little girl". Knox-Johnston's in port, 48 hour time penalty expires at 14:55 GMT tomorrow (Friday) and the sixty-seven year-old mariner is keen to rejoin the race. Puerto Deportivo marina in Gexto, just outside Bilbao, will be busy tomorrow (Friday) morning. Unai Basurko is scheduled to restart racing with Pakea at 08:00 GMT and Kiwi skipper, Graham Dalton, will start racing at around the same time. A scheduled start time for Tim Troy on Magaret Anna has not been announced, as he continues to make final adjustments to his boat in La Rochelle, France to meet IMOCA requirements. - Velux 5 Oceans website, full report: http://www.velux5oceans.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,12345~918367,00.html CREW CONNECTION FOR KEY WEST Whether you are looking to crew at Acura Key West Race Week in January, or you are the crew boss trying to fill holes in your roster for the event, the Scuttlebutt website is the official crew sign-up board for the regatta. Newly posted on the crew board is an announcement from Roy Disney’s Morning Light team, as members of the crew are looking for crewing positions in Key West as additional practice for the film being produced . Look for their listing on the crew board (and all the others), or contact team representative Genny Tulloch, who will field all requests: mailto:MorningLightCrew@gmail.com Don’t let any hurdles stand in your way from attending the 20th anniversary of this outstanding event. Crew board link: http://tinyurl.com/ykdlzn ON THE FORUMS The Scuttlebutt community is encouraged to comment on the Forum threads: --- Looking for sailing info on St. Augustine, FL and Charleston SC. --- Whaddup wid zee Germans (jumping in the water at Soling Worlds)? --- Seeking information on a used 420 --- Baltimore's Downtown Sailing Center --- Changing the 2007 Team Race Worlds location Forums link: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum SAILING SHORTS * (Miami, FL - Oct 26) With 6-12 knots for the final day of the Snipe Western Hemisphere & Orient Championship, the Uruguayan team of Pablo Defazio/ Eduardo Medici were able to overcome early event leaders Bruno Bethlem/ Dante Bianchi (BRA) for the overall win. The Brasil team did fare well for themselves, with Bethlem/ Bianchi in second, Alexandre Paradeda/ Pedro Tinoco (BRA) in third, Augie Diaz/ Mark Ivey (USA) in fourth, and Carlos Wanderly/ Richard Zietemann (BRA) in fifth. - Full results: http://www.snipewho2006.org/reports/WHO_2006/WHO_2006.html * Snipe Western Hemisphere & Orient Championship photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/06/1026a * Last Wednesday, New England Boat Boatworks, Sparkman & Stephens yacht design, North Cove Marina at the World Financial Center and avid Scuttlebutt reader and top sailor Jordan Murphy all got together for the launch of a new 65-foot power cruiser. For Jordan’s comments and photos: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/06/1026 * The Italian magazine Vela e Motore elected the new Beneteau First 50 "Boat of the Year" during the Genoa International Boat Show. The jury, composed by naval architects Andrea Ratti, Sergio Abrami, and editor Antonio Vettese, chose the boat for the very interesting industrial balance among design, price, contents and sailing capabilities. The prize "Gran Premio dell'Innovazione" (Innovation Grand Prix) went to the new Lagoon 420 with electric engines. The megayacht prize to the Tomas Perkins's Perini Navi Maltese Falcon for the impresive new "clipper" rig. - Antonio Vettese, http://www.velaemotore.it CALENDAR OF MAJOR EVENTS (Sponsored by West Marine) Events listed at http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/calendar LETTERS TO THE CURMUDGEON Letters selected for publication must include the writer's name, and may be edited for clarity or space (letters shall be no longer than 250 words). You only get one letter per subject, so give it your best shot, don't whine if others disagree, and save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. As an alternative, there are no word or frequency limits on comments sent to the Scuttlebutt Forums. -- Scuttlebutt Letters: editor@sailingscuttlebutt.com -- Scuttlebutt Forums: http://sailingscuttlebutt.com/forum * From Kai Derby: (re Challenge Business in administration in Issue 2210): The US term for the same thing is Chapter 11. It is my understanding that the business is up for sale as a going concern and the yachts are also up for sale individually as well (including Aviva, Dee Caffari's record-making yacht). * From Larry Leveille: Just wanted to correct a statement in Thursday’s Scuttlebutt (Issue 2210) about the 1984 Olympic boardsailing events. They were not held in Long Beach that year. As a first-time demonstration sport, the events were held in Santa Barbara, about 95 miles up the coast from Long Beach. Both freestyle and slalom events were held over three days. Many of us from Santa Barbara assisted in the events. I still have a green/orange Olympic pennant from that regatta. * From Bud Thompson: (re Velux 5 Oceans race video in Issue 2210) It looked to me that a small jib would have helped as he (Stramm) was wallowing around a bit. But who am I to second gas those boys! * From Adrian Morgan: May I be allowed to reply to Craig Davis's open invitation (letter section in Issue 2210) to join the next Volvo Race? Writer in residence for the Southern Ocean? How can I refuse. At the first sign of bad weather strap me to the binnacle (if there is one) with a (waterproof) notebook. I suspect my first attempt would begin with "Aaaaaaaaghhhhhhh...." and end, six stanzas (or the length of an average surf) later with ...ghhhhhhhh." It would improve. Incidentally, has anyone read Das Boot (the book)? The descriptions of the North Atlantic are unmatched; the author was also a wartime submariner. * From Joe Cazana: (Re Mr. Duffy's response to social memberships in Issue 2210) After so many letters about a shrinking sailing community and how to expand it, what better source of potential sailing material is there than those landlubbers who join a yacht club as social members? Did they really join so they could vote to build a swimming pool and tennis courts or did they join because they were drawn to the water like every sailor and sailor wannabe I know? * From Andy Stagg: The problem with keeping youth interested is rooted right along side the problem plaguing the rest of the sailing industry - there is too much hypocrisy, drama, and red tape. People say "keep sailing fun", and then go protest the hell out of a competitor. "Kids like new fast exciting boats"... yeah I'm sure they'll love the price tag and learning curve too. If anyone has ever had a run in with a "big boat" program, the amount of drama involved is enough to drive a man to drink (which would explains the after parties). US Sailing as a governing body is so concerned about the legalities of the minutest detail that it's near impossible to get a boat on the water. But these aren't only trends in sailing; no, it would be very short sighted to say that. These are trends throughout our society. If you want to fix junior sailing, you'll first need to tackle everything else. My suggestion- Ease up! * From Ted Livingston: Hats off to David Doody (regarding his letter in 2209). I say that he is right regarding "Messing about in boats." Here’s an example from the life and times of Carl Eichenlaub: While still a teen-ager, he had built an International 14. He had become so good, already, that he was named to represent the West Coast in the very first Mallory Cup (won eventually by "Corny" Shields). After another regatta for the I-14 fleet, at Newport Harbor YC, instead of hauling out onto a trailer, he and his crew were seen loading sleeping bags and bags of food into the '14. Here is what Carl said, as retold to me years ago by the late Chuck Kober: "Whither bound, Carl?" "Home to San Diego." "You can't sail a '14 to San Diego!" "How do you think we got here?" * From N. Bourdow: (Re: George Bailey letter in Issue 2210) George, you need to either get a new life, or a new Club. You're 'way' out of touch! -- Curmudgeon’s Comment: With so many references to Issue 2210, here is a link for that newsletter, which is parked on the Scuttlebutt website with all the other back issues in the Archives section: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/archived_Detail.asp?key=3517 CURMUDGEON’S OBSERVATION Great minds discuss idea; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. Special thanks to UK-Halsey and all the loyal Scuttlebutt readers. For the San Francisco readers, hopefully we will get to meet some of you on Friday as we attend the Allianz Cup. America’s Cup coverage in Scuttlebutt is brought to you by UBS. |
